The Kosovo government failed to spend nearly 120 million euros from the 2024 budget. While spending on various categories has increased, about 200 million euros planned for capital investments have remained unspent, while for others, such as social transfers, goods, subsidies, and salaries, spending has been higher compared to last year. While analysts criticize the way the 2024 budget was spent, KosovaPress reports.

According to the GAP Institute, referring to the official report of the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers, over 3.195 billion euros in total payments were spent last year out of over 3.314 billion as the budget was approved. 

This report states that in January 2024, over 140 million euros were spent, followed by other months with over 210 million euros, except for December where over 580 million euros were spent. 

According to GAP, over 650 million euros went to capital expenditures, while over 1 billion and 114 million euros went to subsidies. 

They say that compared to 2022 and 2023, there is an accelerated dynamics of budget spending.

The executive director of the GAP Institute, Blendi Hasaj, in a statement to KosovaPress, says that compared to the previous two years, in 2024 there was a higher expenditure on capital investments. 

Regarding the total budget in execution, in 2023, the Government of Kosovo failed to spend over 286 million euros, in 2022, the budget underspend was over 123 million euros.

Meanwhile, regarding the fact that the spending of the 2024 budget has increased in recent months, according to Hasaj, this may be because businesses carry out more work in the second half of the year. 

Regarding this budget spending dynamics, the former president of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Safet Gërxhaliu says that accountability and responsibility must be increased. 

He states that Kosovo's budget is politicized, and according to him, in this case Kosovo is harmed instead of developed. 

The economic expert says that the investment orientation is more politically colored, as he emphasizes, than there being concrete projects. 

According to him, the lack of sufficient investment in capital projects is stifling economic development and hindering the strengthening of the private sector. 

In 2023, approximately 561 million euros were spent on capital investments, while in 2022 this figure was over 422 million euros. 

The same is emphasized by the MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Ferat Shala, who says that due to the lack of capital investments, imports have increased. 

Shala emphasizes that due to the lack of proper implementation of the budget, unemployment in Kosovo has also increased. 

In addition, Shala states that the way the budget is spent has directly influenced the rise in inflation. 

The Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers did not respond to KosovaPress regarding the spending of the 2024 budget and the method of supporting the private sector. 

According to the GAP report, within the 2024 budget, the Government of Kosovo has increased spending in almost all categories over the past year compared to the same period in 2023, KosovaPress reports.

For social transfers alone, over 780 million euros were spent, or over 100 million more, last year compared to the previous year. 

In addition to expenditures, 432 million 541 thousand euros were spent on goods and services in 2024, or 34.5 million euros more than in 2023.

Likewise, 1 billion and 114 million euros were spent on subsidies and transfers by this government during the past year, or 35 million euros more than in 2023.

In addition, this government has spent on salaries 

843 million 675 thousand or over 76 million more than in 2023.

In addition, over 650 million euros have been spent on capital expenditures, while 860 million euros were planned for this sector. In 2023, over 560 million euros were spent on capital investments. 

Otherwise, for 2025, the Kosovo Assembly approved a budget of 3.6 billion euros, for 2024 it was 3.314 billion. While in 2023 the budget value was over 3 billion and 212 million euros. Meanwhile, in 2022 the approved budget was 2 billion and 748 million euros.

Full prepaid news.

/Kosovapress/